Field of the Disclosure
This patent relates to devices, methods and systems for processing and treating biological fluids, such as blood and blood components. More particularly, the patent relates to devices, methods and systems involving irradiation of biological fluids, such as blood and blood components, in a container disposed in a treatment chamber.
Description of Related Art
An irradiation device is particularly useful in the treatment of biological fluids. As used herein, biological fluid refers to any fluid that is found in or that may be introduced into the body including, but not limited to, blood and blood products. As used herein, “blood product” refers to whole blood or a component of whole blood such as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma or a combination of one or more of such components that have been separated from whole blood.
For example, an irradiation device may be used in the treatment of a blood product that has been combined with a photochemical agent for activation when subjected to light. Such photochemical agents are used, for example, in the inactivation of viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants (collectively referred to herein as “pathogens”). Photochemical agents are also used in the treatment of mononuclear cells, such as white blood cells. In pathogen inactivation applications, the activated agent inactivates pathogens that may be present in a blood product. In the treatment of mononuclear cells, the activated agent targets the mononuclear cell itself as part of a treatment of a disease or a side effect of a mononuclear cell therapy.
Typically, the biological fluid to be treated is introduced into a fluid treatment chamber within the irradiation device in flexible, plastic, sterilizable, translucent, biologically compatible containers. The containers may be integrally connected to other containers and plastic tubing useful in the processing of the biological fluid both before and after the treatment provided by the irradiation device.
One such irradiation device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,433,030. The device includes a fluid carrying drawer with a central cavity to allow for placement of a container-carrying tray. The tray is described as having a volume sufficient to hold at least the entire volume of biological fluid contained within the containers so as to minimize the risk that, in the event of container leakage, liquid will overflow and contact the electrical and mechanical components of irradiation device, even during agitation.